


from struggles to snuggles

by DoctorFitzy (KittooningMalijah)



Series: Of Holidays [2]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - No SHIELD (Marvel), Alternate Universe - Office, Established Relationship, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 04:01:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29429964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittooningMalijah/pseuds/DoctorFitzy
Summary: After his transfer, Leopold thought things would be easy. They wouldn't be perfect, nothing ever really was, but he was actively starting to pursue a new relationship, and he didn't have his daughter over Valentine's Day weekend, and he could actually plan somethingromantic- at least, that had been the plan, until he got a call from his ex-wife's fiancé, asking for a favor.
Relationships: Alya Fitz & Leo Fitz, Alya Fitz & Ophelia Sarkissian, Leo Fitz/Ophelia Sarkissian, Will Daniels/Jemma Simmons
Series: Of Holidays [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2147436
Comments: 5
Kudos: 4





	from struggles to snuggles

**Author's Note:**

> There was a point where I thought this was gonna be like the other fic in this series and be 15k words long, but I controlled it! I was up until 1am finishing it up because that's when the writing muse hit, but I controlled it!

Leopold had barely settled at his desk when his phone went off in his pocket. Technically, he wasn't on the clock yet, and since his transfer, the rules had been a little less strict, which meant he didn't have any issue taking the call while he booted up his computer. The only thing that made him hesitate was seeing his ex-wife's fiancé's name in the moments before he tapped the screen to answer.

The first thing he felt was panic, because there was no reason for Will to be calling him if it didn't have something to do with Alya or Jemma, but he reminded himself to relax. It was Friday, which meant his daughter was at school, and he would have gotten a phone call from the school if anything happened to her, not Will. If it was about Jemma, she would be calling him herself, regardless of the situation. After taking a deep breath, he put the phone to his ear. "I'm about to start work for the day, so I only have a few minutes."

_"Leo! Thank goodness, I caught you. We need a huge favor."_

He let out a sigh, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment before glancing at the time. "Can it wait until my lunch hour? When I said I’m about to start, I meant like _right_ now-”

_“Oh! No!”_ Will interrupted him quickly, and he heard the deep breath he took through the phone. _“No, we don’t need you to do anything right this second. It’s just... can you take Alya for the weekend?”_

Frowning, Leopold glanced at the date and time in the corner of his computer screen. He’d only dropped his daughter off at school half an hour before, and that was after having her all week. The new arrangement was _great,_ it really was, but it didn’t mean much if they were going to keep changing up the schedule. “I... isn’t it Jemma’s weekend? I already made plans with Ophelia for Sunday...”

_“Yeah, that’s... that’s why we’re asking. Because of Valentine’s Day. It’s just that, I have to fly back out to Houston Monday morning to finish my paperwork and put in my last two weeks before the transfer. And...”_

“And, you were hoping you could have the day free so you could spend some time together before you left,” he finished, letting out a slow sigh. Really, it wouldn’t be that hard to change his plans, even if Ophelia would be with him all weekend. He could just cancel the reservation he’d made and have date night at the apartment - if that was okay with her. “Can I call you back on my lunch? I just have to run it by Ophelia, and I’ll be able to let you know by then.”

_“Perfect!”_ He could hear the grin in the other man's voice even through the phone. _“Just text, if that’s easier, too. I will personally owe you big time.”_

Letting out a sigh, Leopold stared at his phone for a moment after the call ended. Having his five year old daughter at the apartment had _not_ been on his Valentine's day agenda, but there were ways that he could work around it. It wasn't the _worst_ hitch that could have come up.

He pushed himself to his feet with a small frown, his computer booted up but none of his work brought up on the screen. He really _could_ wait until lunch to have this discussion, but the earlier he got upstairs, the better of a chance he had that _her_ boss wouldn't be milling about the office, just yet.

"Hey, Mack, I'll be right back!"

-

Walking quickly, Leopold took a breath and stopped at the edge of the main office space. If anyone looked out from the windows of the private offices across the room, they wouldn’t see him unless they knew what to look for, and he was close enough to two people he trusted that he didn’t have to risk getting any closer. 

“Hey, look, it’s my two best friends from my old job! It’s so crazy, running into you guys up here.”

Bobbi stopped what she was doing and twisted in her seat to give him a pointed look. Really, he only considered her a friend after his relationship with Ophelia started, when his friend circle grew from three people and his daughter to more than half the office. It was a _good_ change, but recent enough that her words rang true. “You had barely said two words to me before your transfer. What do you want?”

On the other side of the desk, Grant sighed and lifted his gaze from his computer screen. “She’s here, he’s not. But that probably won’t last long. Whatever you’re here to do, I suggest you hurry.”

Leopold shook his head and looked down at Bobbi, next to him, before starting toward Ophelia’s office. “This is why he’s my favorite.”

“The walls aren’t soundproof. Don’t have sex.” She smirked up at him before going back to her work with a small shake of her head. “And, for the record, my life was a lot easier before I knew you actually had a personality.”

“Ophelia, Barbara’s being mean to me!”

Now that he knew he was safe to venture further into large space, he didn't hesitate before crossing the large room to the far office, the one that used to be his. The door was open, and it was clear by the look on her face that she had heard his shout when he leaned in the doorway. She didn't look entirely happy with him, which didn't bode well for their conversation, but he put on a smile regardless. "Why are you harassing my team this early in the morning? You know better than anyone that Grant needs to finish his coffee before he can function properly, and yet here you are, preventing him from drinking it."

With a roll of his eyes, Leopold stepped into the small room and settled into the chair across the desk from her own. "He can drink it _now._ I just wanted to know if Alistair was in, yet, or if I could actually have a few minutes to talk to you without getting yelled at. Because... something came up. I might have to rearrange our romantic weekend, just a little bit."

"Something came up?" Ophelia frowned and turned to look at him directly, the tension in her body making her shoulders rise. "What's wrong? Do we need to reschedule? Did something happen?"

He shook his head with a softer smile, biting his lip. For a moment, he didn't say anything, content to just watch her for a moment - there weren't many people in his life who would care so much about the need to change a few plans around. "No, no, everything's fine. But... Will has to catch a flight on Monday morning, which makes Sunday his last full day with Jemma until he officially moves into the house... they asked if I could take Alya for the weekend. I haven't given them an answer, because I wasn't just going to change our plans without telling you. I wanted to make sure that was okay...?"

"Oh, Leopold-"

"No, hold on, we have a couple options. We can reschedule for a different weekend. It won't be _on_ Valentine's Day, but it would still be a romantic date night. Or, you can still come over, but... we'd have a five year old around. Which isn't super romantic, but..." He trailed off with a small frown, his gaze drifting down toward the surface of her desk. He really hadn't thought through all of their options, there hadn't been time, but narrowing it down as much as he had felt like an accomplishment.

There was a quiet sigh from her side of the desk, and her tone was gentle when she spoke up. _"But,_ I knew when we started this relationship that I wasn't just signing up for _you._ You come with this great little bonus person, and sometimes it's going to be inevitable that she'll be involved in our plans. If that means she's around for our Valentine's Day weekend, then we'll cancel the reservation and have a romantic evening at home. Knowing Alya, we'll watch _Brave_ again and make it a movie night."

"Actually, she's moved on from _Brave._ Her new favorite movie is _Wall-E."_

With a smile, Ophelia shook her head, her shoulders visibly relaxing again. "That's a _great_ choice. We'll definitely watch that at some point this weekend."

Leopold offered up a softer smile of his own, slowly shaking his head. "I'll take that as a signal that I should text them and let them know we can take her. I feel like I don't say it enough, but you're _really_ great... Even if we could keep the reservation, it wouldn't be nearly enough to show you how much I appreciate you."

_"Leopold!"_

"This was nice while it lasted, I'll see you after work." He got to his feet quickly, ducking out of her office and trying to make a bee line for the elevator even while the all too familiar voice grew closer. 

“You don’t work here, anymore. Get off my floor.”

Putting on a more forced smile, Leopold shook his head and made himself stop walking. “Alistair! Funny running into you, here! I was just-”

The look he received, and the sigh along with it, made him immediately fall quiet. If there was anything in his childhood that he was actually afraid of, it was that exact expression, and lingering instincts made him stand up straighter. The best thing he could do was stay quiet and do what he was told to do, within reason, without putting up a fight.

That was something he'd learned from experience.

"I should hope you were _just_ leaving my employees alone so they can get their work done. I don't know how it works down in engineering, Leopold, but the rules on my floor haven't changed since your transfer. People are expected to actually _work_ when they arrive, not be a distraction to others."

Clearing his throat, Leopold gave a small nod of his head and started to shuffle toward the elevator again. If he could move fast enough, this scolding might end there and not turn into something _louder._ "Yes, sir. I was just on my way out."

When he turned around to walk away properly, he could feel the eyes still on him from every direction. He was careful, as he always was, keeping his own eyes focused straight ahead so that he wouldn't have to look at anyone while he waited for the elevator doors to open. It didn't take a genius to know what he would see if he met anyone's gaze - pity, most likely, anger and frustration if he looked over his shoulder at the man he'd been trying and failing to please for so many years, secondhand embarrassment that he was being scolded like a child in the middle of the office he used to all but run.

Stepping into the elevator when the doors opened, he hit the button for the engineering floor and took a deep breath before sliding his hands into his pockets. If they were tucked away, it would be difficult to see the way his fingers shook, his body turning anxiety into energy and making it nearly impossible to keep from fidgeting. When the doors closed again, and he was properly alone, Leopold let his shoulders sag. The facade he had to put on when in certain company slipping away until his reflection in the mirrored walls showed exactly how he felt:

Like a scared kid just trying to make it through another day.

-

[ text | to: **chaotic co-parenting** ] _everything's cleared with Ophelia_  
[ text | to: **chaotic co-parenting** ] _we'll pick Alya up from school and we can figure out an exchange time for Monday_  
[ text | from: **space monkey** ] _our hero!_ _  
_[ text | from: **better half** ] _I can pick her up from you after I drop Will off at the airport_ _  
_[ text | from: **better half** ] _will that be okay or do you have to go into work that day?_  
[ text | to: **chaotic co-parenting** ] _idk yet_  
[ text | to: **chaotic co-parenting** ] _I'll see how far I get in this project today and then talk to Mack_  
[ text | to: **chaotic co-parenting** ] _worst case, you can just come pick her up from the office, since I transferred and we won't have to deal with you know who_  
[ text | from: **better half** ] _great! thank you for taking her on such short notice!_  
[ text | from: **space monkey** ] _seriously, man, you're a lifesaver_  
[ text | to: **chaotic co-parenting** ] _all I'm saving is your sex life_  
[ text | to: **chaotic co-parenting** ] _you guys owe me for this one_  
[ text | to: **chaotic co-parenting** ] _I reserve the right to redeem a free weekend at any point after the honeymoon_ _  
_[ text | from: **better half** ] _that's more than fair_  
[ text | from: **space monkey** ] _deal_

-

"You know, you didn't have to come with me. You could have stayed at the office and gotten some stuff done. I know that an elementary school pick up line isn't the most exciting way to start Valentine's Day weekend."

"Oh, hush, Leopold. At this point, I think I should be able to handle something a little mundane." Reaching over, Ophelia took his hand in hers while they waited in the slow moving line of cars, a small smile pulling at her lips. "Besides, it's the first peaceful moment I've had all day. You were right, when you said Bobbi and Grant would work well together, but that's only when they _agree._ They've been at each other's throats since lunch."

With a gentle chuckle, he gave her hand a squeeze before letting out a slow breath. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I know _someone_ who's going to be very excited to see us in a few minutes. You know, if this line ever moves again..."

Leaning over, she rested her head against his shoulder with a small smile and took a deep breath. "Like I said, we finally get a peaceful moment. I don't mind having a little bit of extra time with you - it might be the only time we have to be alone all weekend, now." She returned the gentle squeeze to his own fingers, her voice softening into something hesitant and careful. "Do you want to talk about this morning? I know you don't like to talk about him, or your childhood, especially when we're supposed to have a nice weekend, but-"

"What happened this morning was... _rough,_ yes, but it's not new. Unfortunately, I grew up around exactly that. Just, not in an office setting." He shook his head with a weak smile, turning his chin enough to press a soft kiss to her hair. "I'll be fine. I'll just avoid your floor for a little while until he forgets about it. And I'll have to come up with a signal, or something, in case he's coming the next time I come up to talk to you - I'll talk to Grant about it, we've been doing that basically since we met, and it shouldn't be too hard to change the protocol for the office."

"Or, we could just change how we interact around the office. If Alistair's going to keep throwing a fit every time you come and see me, then I'll start coming downstairs for lunch." Ophelia pulled back enough to look at him, arching a brow. "I can come down and sit in your office with you, and we wouldn't have to deal with Alistair at all, and I'll actually get to see where you work."

With a low, thoughtful hum, Leopold turned his focus to the windshield so that he could drive forward when the line started moving. "Yeah? Are you sure? Because it's not like I'm going to expect you to come downstairs to see me just for our lunch break. I mean... I already feel bad that we've been together for less than two months and now we have to cancel all of our Valentine's Day plans and we're stuck in a stupid _pick up line_ at my daughter's school instead of doing anything at all romantic."

"You're overthinking things again, sweetheart." She turned her head to look over at the small crowd of children they were slowly getting closer to. "We can still have a romantic weekend, and it's kind of bringing us full circle, isn't it? The first time we spent any time together outside of work was eating chicken nuggets and watching a Disney movie. We've been planning our dates around your custody schedule, since everything changed, and if we're going to be in a serious relationship, shouldn't I be involved in every aspect of your life, especially the parts of it that are so important?"

"Wait... now, hold on, we never actually discussed how serious things would be, between us. Everything was already so hectic, with my transfer, and your promotion, and the custody schedule changing-"

"And it's been two months. Besides the last minute change this weekend, everything has settled into place." Ophelia sat up straighter in her seat, looking over at him with a small frown. "And you don't even want to consider actually discussing what we actually are?"

Letting out a sigh, he kept his gaze aimed outside the car, searching for the familiar color of his daughter’s backpack. “It’s... we can’t really have this conversation in the pick up line. We can try to make time this weekend? We’ll take some time to ourselves, put on a movie for Alya, and... discuss the future?”

The words were terrifying to say, and he realized it the moment before they left his mouth. There had only been one other time when he’d actually had a serious relationship, and that had ended in a divorce. Pursuing something else that could last, that could worm into his heart and break it, it wasn’t something he’d ever considered. The way Leopold saw it, he had responsibilities that would affect everything else in his life - between Alya and work, he had to find someone who wouldn’t mind an energetic kid and his sometimes busy hours, who didn’t mind chicken nuggets and boxes of macaroni and cheese for dinner if something came up. If they couldn’t handle that, or if they realized as much after he already gave himself to them, let them in, it would be devastating.

The only thing that was able to pull him out of his spiraling thoughts was a high pitched, eager shriek. It came from outside the car, but as soon as the back door opened, it surrounded them and made it impossible to keep from smiling. 

_“‘Lia!”_

-

After stopping to pick up something for dinner, they drove directly over to the apartment and hurried to get inside, out of the call. The entire way up the stairs, Alya clung to Ophelia's sleeve with one hand and her backpack with the other, happily chattering away about her day at school even when she had to let go to take off her jacket.

With a small shake of his head and a smile, Leopold carried two pizza boxes into the kitchen, leaving them to talk while he got everything set up for dinner. At least for a few minutes, he knew that he didn't have anything to worry about, that he could focus on one responsibility of the night and Ophelia was more than capable of focusing on another. It was especially easy to keep a five year old occupied for a few minutes when she was eager to spend time with someone she'd considered a friend.

It wasn't that he _avoided_ having both of them around at the same time, but it was certainly easier to make or arrange a romantic dinner when Alya wasn't hanging off his leg. And it was easier to follow a bedtime routine if he didn't feel bad for leaving someone on the couch to wait for him for some undetermined amount of time, depending on the night. He'd always kept his personal life and his work life separate, and then keeping his family life and his romantic life separated became necessary, and there weren't enough hours in a day to do it all.

Now, he had someone who not only knew how hard he worked to keep his life sorted out but _welcomed_ it. He was trying to keep walls up around each part of his life, trying to manage it, and she wanted to come right in and mix them all together. It was terrifying. If one piece started to crumble, they would all come down, and he didn't know if that was a risk he wanted to take.

Leopold took a deep breath and set the plates down on the counter slowly. It wouldn't do him any good to get worked up about things so early on in their weekend together, when they'd barely even stepped foot through the door. They still had their _shoes_ on, for goodness sake. He could pull it together for a little while, at least until after bedtime, when it would be just the two of them and they could actually _talk._

He leaned in the doorway that separated the kitchen and the living room, pausing for a moment to watch the scene that had started to unfold. Ophelia had taken her coat off and gotten settled into her usual spot on the couch, leaving plenty of space for his daughter to climb up into her lap - which was clearly something that the five year old was excited about, if the increased volume of her words was any indication. With a soft smile, he shook his head before finding his voice, reluctantly breaking up the peaceful moment. "The pizza's gonna get cold if we wait too long to eat. We can tell 'Lia about school after dinner."

"Pizza!" Alya leapt off the couch and darted past him into the kitchen, standing on her toes when she reached the counter to try to get a better look at the boxes.

Shaking her head, Ophelia stood up slower and looked over at him with a wider smile than the one he wore. That tended to be the way it was, most days, his happiness dampened by the day's rain, and hers shining like the sun after the clouds finally part. "Well, we wouldn't want to let dinner get cold, would we?"

-

Dinner did get cold.

Between the three of them, they'd finished more than a whole pizza before letting it sit on the kitchen counter started to affect its temperature. It was easy enough to remedy whenever they wanted to grab another plate of food, with the microwave only a few feet away, and it was between slices that Alya got to her feet, showing them what she'd learned in her gym class over the course of the week. From the other side of the kitchen, perched on the edge of the counter next to the mostly empty boxes of pizza, Ophelia smiled and took her plate out when the microwave went off. She was happy to sit and watch, not even bothering to dismount from her unconventional seat while she lifted the slice of cheese and pepperoni to take a bite.

It wasn't until she actually bit into it, when the newly reheated sauce hit her tongue, that she realized how hot it actually was. Dropping the pizza back onto the plate, she shook her head and hissed at the pain that came from the burn. "Oh, _fu-"_ When she lifted her chin to find a napkin, she found herself looking at the big blue eyes of a _five year old,_ and the word died on her lips.

She couldn't _swear_ in front of a _child._

Leopold coughed to hide a laugh while he stood up from his seat, shaking his head with a clear smile. Of course, he thought this was funny. Under that soft dad exterior was probably more of what her first impression had been - a man who was miserable at work and wouldn't be truly happy until everyone was miserable with him, a man who wouldn't even discuss what their relationship _was._ This was just some kind of game, to him...

But, when he crossed the kitchen, not to stand in front of her but to reach for the cabinet that held the cups, the look in his eyes didn't match the anxious assumption she'd made. It was gentle, the same softness she'd gotten used to during any other occasion in this kitchen, with just a hint of amusement. And, when she got an even closer look as he stepped toward her to pass over the glass of cold water, maybe even some _concern,_ behind that.

"Da, 'Lia almost said a bad word!"

This time, he did laugh, shaking his head while he turned to face his daughter again. "Yes, she did, but she stopped, didn't see? She didn't _really_ say a bad word, so it's okay. And 'Lia is an adult, remember? Adults can say bad words, sometimes." He turned his attention back to the woman on the counter again, his smile softening again almost immediately. It was like there were _versions_ of himself - one at work, who was frustrated and had high standards for the people he collaborated with; one when he was just with her, who was meticulous about getting every date night details just right; and one that came out whenever they were around his family, oh so soft and careful, the gentlest version of all.

For an hour, she'd almost thought she could get two of them at once.

"Is your mouth okay?"

His voice drew her out of her thoughts, her attention drifting back to the very solid version of him that was in front of her. Ophelia was face to face with _date night Leopold,_ the perfect boyfriend who refused to actually put a label on anything. "Yeah, I'm fine. It just surprised me, more than anything. Sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"To almost swear in front of a little kid? No apology necessary. I think I did that at least three times this week." He shook his head, the amusement back in his eyes while he glanced over his shoulder. Alya had gone back to her seat, picking at the crust of her latest slice of pizza and barely paying them any mind. "Really, she's exposed to a lot of things, and we agreed when she was younger that we can't shelter her from all of it. Unfortunately, a child can't be raised in a bubble, and not everyone is going to adjust their behavior, so... we've taught her to filter herself, even if no one else will. Bad words are okay _sometimes,_ she doesn't have to laugh at every joke just because some of us do, little things like that. She's very good at not repeating things."

With a weak smile, Ophelia sipped at the water before moving her plate so that she could actually stand up again. Once they were toe to toe, she let out a slow breath before leaning over to kiss his cheek. "You're a good dad. And I'm still going to apologize. A little burned tongue doesn't call for that kind of language."

Leopold let out a hum and shook his head, gently draping his arms around her waist to keep her close. "It does, sometimes. But thank you, for catching yourself, even if you really didn't have to."

-

With the morning sun streaming in through the windows, Ophelia stayed quiet so that she wouldn't be seen in the doorway of the kitchen. She'd gotten out of bed and left Leopold to get some more rest, following the quiet sounds of a zipper and rustling down the hall. She wasn't entirely surprised that Alya was up early, not when the apartment was so quiet and peaceful, perfect for a brilliant and active child to get some time to herself.

After getting her settled in bed the night before, they didn't take any time to actually talk, the way she wanted to. There had been pizza boxes to clean up, and exhaustion from their work week to recover from, and before she even had the chance to mention it, they were _asleep._ It had been nice, being able to wake up in his arms, and not all that unfamiliar after the dinners they'd shared and the weekends they'd spent together, but she would have liked to at least _try_ to figure out what it all _meant._

She was still separate from the rest of his life - they worked in different departments; she still spent most nights in the shared apartment with Daisy; she barely spent any time with him during the weeks he had Alya. It was hard to feel like they were becoming _anything_ beyond occasional date mates when everything else in his life was so _distant._

But, as she watched the little girl take a folder out of her backpack and climb up to sit at the kitchen table, something occurred to her. Even if the rest of his life _felt_ distant, that didn't mean it had to be. If he didn't want to have a conversation about their relationship, that was fine, but she would be showing him exactly what she wanted to say - that she wanted _all_ of him, even if there were risks, even if it wasn't perfect.

And she knew exactly where to start.

Stepping forward, Ophelia moved to sit down at the table slowly, watching while construction paper and pens and glue were unpacked onto the clean surface. If there was one thing she was good at, it was helping with projects, and a smile immediately pulled at her lips while she leaned forward to get a better look. "What are you working on?"

"Making a valentime for da."

Ophelia smiled that much wider, shaking her head while she watched her arrange her supplies. "Do you want a little help? What all do you still have to do before it's finished?"

Looking up at her, with blue eyes that seemed so big on her little face, Alya all but grinned and wriggled to the edge of her seat. "I gotta cut out hearts, and glue them, and write the poem! But my writing's not very good... maybe you can write it when it's all glued?"

"I would _love_ to write the poem for you. Now, what colors do we need so we can cut out those hearts?"

-

Pacing back and forth behind the couch, Leopold sighed while keeping the phone to his ear. He'd been on hold for almost an hour just to try to _talk_ to a host at the restaurant they were supposed to have dinner at, in a desperate attempt to cancel the reservation before the twenty four hour cut off, but between the hold music and _Wall-E_ playing on the television, he was starting to get a headache. His only saving grace was that Ophelia was doing a very good job of keeping his daughter happily occupied and he didn't have to try to find an adequate distraction for her besides the movie.

There was a sound from the other end of the line and he stopped moving, taking a deep breath so that he could speak up quickly. "Hello? Yes, thank you, I'm calling about a reservation for tomorrow night? No! No, I know you're very busy because of Valentine's Day tomorrow. No, don't put me back on hold-!"

He sighed and squeezed his eyes shut, pulling the phone away from his ear when the hold music started up again. If he had to lose another hour of his life because they barely let him get a sentence out, he would practically lose the entire afternoon, and it was supposed to be a nice, relaxing weekend. Even when taking his daughter for a few extra days was added to the agenda, he'd hoped he could still manage to keep parts of his weekend at least somewhat intact. He'd hoped for a peaceful lunch, a movie on the couch, a day where he could actually _enjoy_ the free time he had with the people he cared about.

"If I have to be on hold for the whole dang afternoon..."

_"Dang?_ That's the word you're going with?"

He sighed and looked over at Ophelia when she spoke, letting his shoulders sag while he frowned. It was unfair, her sitting there on the couch, looking so insanely comfortable with Alya curled up against her side... while he was stuck on his feet, trying to figure out if he was even going to be able to cancel their table. "I can't really use the word I want to use, right now." He let out another slow sigh before gesturing toward his daughter with the hand that wasn't holding onto his phone. "I _want_ to use a word that starts with _f,_ but there are tiny ears, and-"

There was a voice from the phone in his hand, and he was quick to pull it back to his ear. "Hello? Hi! Hi, I have a reservation for tomorrow night that I need to cancel. Yes, that's correct, I said I need to _cancel_ my reservation. It's going to be under _Fitz._ F-I-T-Z. Yes- wait, wait, no, I don't want to go back on hold, I just want my reservation cancelled." Letting out a groan, Leopold turned and walked toward the kitchen so that he could at least try to deal with the call without interrupting anyone else's peaceful afternoon.

"This is so _stupid..."_

-

The only thing keeping him awake was the tea he was sipping, hot and caffeinated and mostly sugar, and he kept his eyes closed against the sun coming in through the window over the sink. After spending the afternoon on the phone and the evening dealing with work emails, all Leopold wanted was to sleep in, but he didn't have that option, not on _Valentine's Day,_ of all days, when it was practically a requirement for him to do something sweet for the people in his life. Most years, even after the divorce, he'd gotten Jemma an obnoxiously glittery card, a box of her favorite tea, and called it good.

So far, on that morning in particular, all he'd managed to do was make his own cup and slouch at the kitchen table.

When the familiar sound of small, socked feet sounded from the short hallway, he sighed and put his head down on the wooden surface in front of him, squeezing his eyes closed. In the distance, he could hear the shower, too, a sign that Ophelia was awake and moving about, and it meant the twenty minutes of peace he had were coming to an end.

Taking a deep breath, Leopold sat up straight again just before Alya ran into the kitchen and over to his side. She reached up, grabbing onto the soft material of his sleeve to give it a tug as if she didn't already have his complete attention. "Da, milk, please?"

He let himself smile, the expression soft while he got to his feet. "Do you just want milk? Or do you want... _chocolate_ milk?"

The little gasp she let out was enough to make his smile grow into something nearing a grin while he stepped toward the fridge, taking out the milk and the chocolate syrup. He really was happy to have her around for a few extra days, to see her be happy and playful in his small living room, hearing all the excitement that her tiny body could contain over something as simple as chocolate in her milk. These days wouldn't last forever, no matter how tightly he tried to hold onto them, and savoring it for a little while wouldn't hurt anyone.

By the time he set the cup of milk down on the table, it wasn't just the two of them in the kitchen anymore, though he was only really aware of Ophelia a few feet away because of the eyes he could watch tracking her. If it wasn't for the fact that his daughter was completely and utterly fascinated by the woman he'd started to welcome into his life, maybe he would have been more hesitant to let factions of his life start to mesh at all, but things were okay, and he had no reason to believe that would change.

"Did you sleep okay? Sorry if I tossed and turned too much."

When he felt the hand on his arm, he let out a slow breath and made himself relax despite his nerves. "I’m not going to fault you for being restless. I barely noticed, I promise. It’s your bed; you can toss and turn as much as you need to.” Ophelia stepped closer, and he felt the gentle kiss to his cheek before he registered just _how_ close she was. “Is there more tea? I think I could use a little pick me up, before we really start the day.”

Leopold smiled and shook his head, turning enough to look over at her. "I think I have enough hot water for another cup. And I can always make more, if we need it." He didn't hesitate before leaning over to press a soft kiss to the side of her head on his way over to the kettle. "Sit down, get comfortable, I'll get it for you. Maybe I'll even make pancakes."

_"Cakes!"_ Alya screeched from the other side of the table, a chocolate mustache on her upper lip from where she had been holding her cup. And then she gasped and turned her gaze away from her father to look over at Ophelia with wide eyes. When she spoke again, it was in a whisper, but one that was more than loud enough to be heard across the kitchen. "'Lia! Valentime!"

Arching a brow, Leopold stopped with a mug hanging from his fingers and glanced between them. "Is there something I should know about? I feel like sleeping in yesterday gave you too much time to conspire against me."

He took a deep breath, keeping his eyes on them while he tried to force himself to relax. It didn't _sound_ like anything terrible, or even elaborate, but even the few extra hours of rest had been a risk. The different factions of his life were coming together too quickly, and it was hard to keep the walls up that kept them separate when so many pieces were in the same small space for the weekend. He was enjoying himself, but that kind of comfort came with danger, with the risk of screwing something up, of losing it all.

Happiness was too dangerous to hold onto, because it would always slip away as easily as it came.

Ophelia was quick to get to her feet only moments after she actually sat down, plainly grinning while she stepped out of the kitchen. "I'll get it!"

There was a giggle from the table, and he looked over just in time to see his daughter wiping the chocolate milk from her mouth with the back of her hand. While he sighed and slowly shook his head, she was quick to speak up as if to offer more of an explanation. _"Valentime,_ da!"

_"Valentine?_ Who's getting a valentine?"

Alya giggled again, climbing down from her chair so that she could run over and hug his leg. _"Da_ gets a valentime!"

He was too stunned to question it further, blinking while he reached down to run his fingers through fine blonde hair. Before he could even gather the ability to ask anything else, a folded in half red construction paper heart was being held up near his face, and he let out the breath that had been sitting in his lungs. "Oh..."

Taking the homemade card from Ophelia to hold it in his own hands, he blinked again to take in the sight properly without yet opening it. He couldn't even make himself move his fingers again for a long moment, very slowly and delicately unfolding it so that he could look at the inside. The red heart was inlaid with thinner, white paper cut into the same shape, though the little hands that had cut it hadn't glued it down exactly center, and the shape itself was shaky. It was _perfect,_ and he felt like his heart was about to burst even before he read the words written there in familiar handwriting, the same neat script that was on most of the office memos from his old department to his new one.

_Roses are red_ _  
__Violets are blue_ _  
__There's not another da_ _  
__More perfect than you_

Leopold blinked at the words, taking a deep breath while he crouched down enough to gently hug his daughter close to his side with the hand that wasn't holding onto the valentine. "This is lovely. Thank you, monkey."

"'Lia helped! 'Cause my writing's not very good. I wanted it to be _pretty."_

He let out a soft chuckle before kissing her hair, keeping her close while he shook his head. "It's _very_ pretty. I love it. Do you think you can go put it away somewhere safe while I make 'Lia's tea and get pancakes started?"

Her own kiss to his cheek was sloppier with childlike enthusiasm in the moments before she tugged herself away from his hold. He gave up the card willingly, watching her carry it out of the kitchen and toward the living room while he straightened up. Once there, he was greeted by a kiss to his other cheek and a gentle hand on his arm.

"I certainly wouldn't call that _conspiring against you,_ but it did happen while you were still asleep, yesterday." Ophelia's voice was teasing while she gently bumped his hip with her own, grabbing the mug from the counter with a smile. "I can handle my own tea, you worry about breakfast. Things will go smoother and faster if we work as a team, I thought you figured that out at Christmas?"

Rolling his eyes, he let out a slow sigh before moving over to the cabinets again to seek out everything he needed to make breakfast. "Yeah, but I'm a highly trained scientist. I need repeated results to come to a conclusion. We need to run at least two more trials for that project to be statistically significant."

"And only one more trial after breakfast." She winked when he looked over his shoulder again, turning to the remaining tea from when he'd made his cup earlier that morning. "See? We're _efficient."_

-

[ text | from: **better half** ] _happy valentine's day, boys!_ _  
_[ text | from: **space monkey** ] _I feel like this could have been a text to just Leo_ _  
_[ text | from: **space monkey** ] _I'm literally across the table_  
[ text | from: **better half** ] _but then I don't get my v day tradition!_ _  
_[ text | to: **chaotic co-parenting** ] _happy valentine's day_ _  
_[ text | to: **chaotic co-parenting** ] _[image attachment]_ _  
_[ text | to: **chaotic co-parenting** ] _look what our daughter made for me_ _  
_[ text | to: **chaotic co-parenting** ] _with Ophelia's help_  
[ text | from: **better half** ] _so sweet!_ _  
_[ text | from: **space monkey** ] _wait we didn't get valentines_ _  
_[ text | from: **space monkey** ] _that's not fair_ _  
_[ text | to: **chaotic co-parenting** ] _if you hadn't given up your weekend, maybe you would have gotten one_  
[ text | from: **better half** ] _no fighting in the group chat!_  
[ text | to: **chaotic co-parenting** ] _this isn't a fight!_ _  
_[ text | from: **space monkey** ] _he started it!_

-

The air in the kitchen was thick with the smells from the oven and the stovetop. Garlic and a hint of spice melded with the cheese from the pot that held the final product of the boxed macaroni and cheese, the alternative suitable for a five year old already finished and staying warm on the heated surface. Between making sure that his daughter's Kraft macaroni didn't burn or overcook and frequently checking on the little pies in the oven, Leopold was barely able to find the time to tie the silk tie around his neck.

Even if they'd had to cancel the reservation and he was cooking for most of the afternoon, he still wanted to have a somewhat nice dinner. And, when Ophelia had a nice dress packed for their weekend, it really was a shame to let it go to waste, so they were having a nice dinner in his tiny apartment kitchen. It was better than having to completely cancel their entire weekend.

For the last twenty minutes that their meal was in the oven, Alya had been lingering close to his legs, drawn from the couch by the smell of her own dinner. It was fine, as long as he knew exactly where she was and could move around her, but with her face close to the oven's window, it was hard to keep an eye on things so that the edges of the little pies didn't burn.

"Monkey, I need-"

"Da, you made a love heart! Like my valentime!"

"Yes, they are heart shaped pies. Can I-"

"Mummy says love is for everybody, _and_ only people you really, _really_ like. Is the love heart pie 'Lia's valentime? Do you love 'Lia like mummy loves Willy?"

He sighed, gently lifting her into his arms so that he could carry her over to the table. "Well, you know how you're spending this weekend with da because mummy and Willy are having their Valentine's Day?" Leopold waited for her to nod, helping her get settled in her seat before crouching down enough to look her in the eye with a small smile. "'Lia came over because we were going to have our Valentine's Day. And so we can still have our Valentine's Day, I'm making a very special dinner. That means heart shaped pies."

Alya gasped quietly, her eyes going wide while she looked over at him. "'Lia _is_ your valentime!"

With a low chuckle, he kissed her forehead while standing up straight again. "I don't know, monkey. Do you think 'Lia _wants_ to be my valentine?"

Before he could get any kind of response, he was distracted by the sound of heels on the floor, and he turned around quickly. In the entry to the kitchen, Ophelia wore a deep red dress that fell to her knees, the heels on her feet a matching shade that really would have looked lovely in the candle light of a romantic restaurant. Unfortunately, the closest thing to that he could offer was a few leftover birthday candles from the summer before, but that wouldn't be nearly good enough.

"I'm not too late for dinner, am I? It smells _really_ good?"

Leopold took a deep breath, shaking his head with a soft, almost dazed smile while he took in the sight of her. "No, it's, uh... I was just about to take it out of the oven, go ahead and sit down and I'll get everything plated and... you look really nice."

He watched her cheeks turn a faint shade of pink while she shook her head, moving over to the table to sit down in the chair that had, over the course of a few months, become hers. "It feels silly, doesn't it? Getting all dressed up to eat dinner here?"

"'Lia, _pretty."_ With a wide grin, Alya shifted in her seat to sit up on her knees and lean against the edge of the table. "I wanna pretty dress, da!"

Not even looking over at them again just yet, Leopold slid the tray out of the oven and moved the heart shaped pies to plates with mitted hands. They weren't perfect, considering the fact he tried to bend the aluminum to make the shape he wanted and it wasn't nearly as nice as he wanted it to look, but it was obvious enough that they were hearts. And that was all that mattered.

Once he could get macaroni in a bowl for his daughter, he worked on bringing everything over to the table and arranging the plates and bowl where they needed to be. "We'll see what we can get you for your birthday, monkey. Maybe we can go pick out a couple dresses before then, so you have something to wear to your party, hmm?" He smiled while settling into his seat, watching her dig into her food happily before turning to look over at Ophelia again. "I hope none of the crust is burned... I've probably made these about a hundred times, but never... _shaped._ I tried something new."

With a small shake of her head, she grabbed her fork and poked it into the flaky top crust of the pie. "It looks wonderful, Leo, really. And it smells _amazing._ Is that... _cheese?"_ She lifted the fork again, the stringy substance clinging to it for a few moments before it snapped. "Why did I think I was going to get meat when I stabbed into this?"

He coughed through a laugh, shaking his head. "No, it's, um... it's macaroni pie. My mum's old recipe. I think, the last time I made it, I was still married, so... if it's bad, I'm sorry. I made plenty of Kraft, just in case."

Ophelia narrowed her eyes at him, her eyes playful while she stabbed the fork into the pie again to get enough noodles and cheese and crust for a decent bite. Not breaking eye contact with him, she put the bite in her mouth and took a slow breath through her nose, causing him to speak up with a small smirk.

"Hot?"

"Lil bit..."

-

Leopold was slouched on the couch cushions when she returned from Alya's bedroom. She had fallen asleep in Ophelia's lap in the middle of the movie, and she'd insisted on making sure she got safely tucked into bed with minimal interruptions. She wanted to give him a break, or so she claimed, and transferring the girl from one pair of arms to another just to get her down the hall was silly. So, he'd let her, but that only left the opportunity for his mind to point out the risks to him again when he was left with the quiet Disney credits screen.

The thoughts that plagued him weren't any different from the rest of the weekend, but they were louder. The more comfortable he got, the more his anxiety reared its head, and he didn't have the ability to make it _stop._

When the cushion next to him sank with the return of her weight, he put on a smile and sat up again, shaking his head. "You really didn't have to do that, you know. And I'm sorry she fell asleep on you, I should've-"

"Don't you _dare_ apologize for that sweet little girl of yours _falling asleep._ I told you on Friday, Leopold, I know that you're a packaged deal. If that comes with carrying her to bed every once in a while when I'm over, then so be it." There was something in her eyes that made him let out a slow breath instead of finishing his thought, letting her speak. "I don't know why you think it's something you have to do on your own. I knew it would be like this when I agreed to be your plus one at Christmas, and I certainly knew about it before our first real date. If you're worried about parenthood scaring me away, it won't."

He hesitated for a moment before sighing again softly, keeping his eyes on her without quite looking her in the eye. "I'm not worried about that. I _know_ you're okay with her, and you're really _good_ with her, which is great, but it's... I..." Leopold closed his mouth while he frowned, thinking over what he wanted to say before even trying to speak again. "I don't want to ruin anything else because I'm not enough. I know how it sounds, and I know it might seem ridiculous, but my entire childhood was miserable because I wasn't enough to live up to Alistair's expectations. I still _am_ miserable because I'll only ever be a disappointment to him. I ruined my own _marriage_ because what I was and what I am aren't what Jemma needs. And I know that's okay, and she wasn't necessarily meant for me, either, but it... it _sucks._

"I keep pieces of my life separate for a reason. Because I'm bound to disappoint someone, eventually, and if it's someone I've let in completely... I lose everything. And I... _really_ like you, Ophelia, I do, but I don't want Alya to get too attached in case I end up disappointing you, too."

He let his shoulders drop while he stared down at his hands and took a deep breath. It was more than he'd ever admitted to anyone, and the sudden vulnerability that filled his chest made him feel sick. If she was going to leave at all, he wanted it to be right then and there. It would be easier, then, if she walked out and they could pretend they never even tried.

"Leo..." Her voice was soft, the way it always was whenever she used the shortened version of his name, and the tone was enough to make him look at her, however sheepishly. "You're not a disappointment just because Alistair takes out his bad moods on you. That is _his_ problem, and it's never been yours, especially when you were a _kid._ As for the divorce, more than half of married couples are doing that, nowadays, and it doesn't have to be someone's _fault._ You can't blame yourself for something like that. It is a little bit ridiculous, but only because there are people in your life who were supposed to be there for you and make sure you didn't feel that way." She let out a slow breath before reaching for his hand and gently entwining their fingers. "If you really want to keep things separate, I'm not going to _rush you_ into a relationship. I just need to know enough that we can at least be on the same page."

After a moment, Leopold was able to make himself give her hand a squeeze while he sat up straighter. It was a habit, adjusting his posture during serious conversations, though they usually only happened with one person in particular. "It's not easy, keeping things separate, when it's you... I see you at work, and on date nights, and now this weekend, with Alya... and that's the _problem._ It all seems to fit together so _easily,_ and letting you in is so _natural,_ but what's going to happen when that all _ends?"_

She leaned over, kissing his cheek softly before relaxing into his side. In his space, she was warm, a source of contact that could ground him in the moment instead of his spiraling thoughts. "Who says it has to end? I'm not asking you to put your fears aside and make this an end all be all situation. But... it would be easier to navigate all of this if we actually agreed on what we are, wouldn't it? We don't have to commit to each other _forever,_ but... We go out on regular dates, I just spent a whole weekend in your home with you and your daughter, and I don't even know if I'm allowed to call you my _boyfriend."_

Leopold hesitated before moving, untangling their fingers so that he could put his arm around her shoulders with a small frown. In a matter of minutes, things had gone from being so terrifyingly easy to completely impossible to figure out, and all he wanted was something _solid._ He wanted somewhere he could land instead of being left to float into the unknown with no end in sight. He wanted a home that wasn't just his apartment, but a _person,_ for the first time in years, and while that was a long way off, figuring out something as simple as a label was a good place to start.

**(** _"no rushing, right? well, I don't think being boyfriend and girlfriend is rushing things at all. that's always the first step in these kinds of things, right?" he had to take a breath before managing a smile, feeling the muscles in his back slowly start to relax. "and I don't think I need to keep things quite as separate, at this point. Alya adores you, really. she's convinced the heart shaped pies were my valentine for you."_

_"oh, is that so? and is she right?"_

_"maybe."_ **)**

-

“Are you sure you want to come upstairs? What if he’s working?”

“Ophelia, it’s a holiday, he’s not going to be in the office.” Helping his daughter out of the car, Leopold shook his head while he glanced toward the tall office building. “Really, we’ll come upstairs while you grab what you need, and then we can all drive together to get lunch.”

Alya pulled away from him as soon as she was safely on the sidewalk, running over to take Ophelia’s hand instead while they made their way toward the building. After spending the weekend together, she really had started to grow attached, and while that wouldn’t be a problem in the grand scheme of things, it might be hard to get her to willingly go into the house when they dropped her off with Jemma. “‘Lia, are you gonna have sammiches with us?”

With a smile, she nodded and led the way inside, walking slow enough that her boyfriend would have plenty of time to catch up with them after locking the car. “I am. Is that okay?”

“Yeah!”

Leopold had a smile of his own on when he fell into step next to them, only stepping ahead of them to open the building’s door. “She’s going to come with us to lunch and then to drop you off with your mum. And then we’ll both pick you up from school again on Friday. How does that sound?”

Alya let out a giggle, happily following them to the elevator while still holding onto Ophelia’s hand. It would likely be a miracle if she let go before they got back to the car, and they shared a look over her head that conveyed that they _both_ knew that, but that didn’t necessarily make it a problem. It just meant causing a decent distraction. 

As it turned out, he didn’t have to work that hard to find one. 

While his girlfriend went into her office to grab a folder of paperwork, Leopold let his daughter dance around in the space near the elevator. He was too occupied with watching her and letting himself be _happy_ for a few minutes to realize that the door to the other private office had opened and they were no longer alone. 

“Leopold. Last I checked, you still didn’t work on this floor.”

He straightened up immediately, shifting to put his body between his daughter and the man who was slowly approaching them without having to think about it. A quick glance was enough to tell him that Ophelia was still in her office, gathering what she needed to do a few things from home, and he would actually have to spend a few minutes with the only person in the world he actually feared. “I don’t work today. It’s President’s Day. I thought you wouldn’t be in the office, either.”

“Well, some of us care more about our careers than... _dancing.”_

Leopold felt himself tense while he shifted his weight again, aware of the arms winding around his leg while he took a slow breath. “She’s _five._ She’s just occupying herself while we wait for Ophelia, she’s not hurting anyone-”

“This is my department, boy, and you won’t disrespect me just because you no longer report to me.” Alistair took a step forward, his eyes narrowing. “Or did you forget I can pull strings on almost every floor of this building?”

Swallowing roughly, he resisted the urge to step back, suddenly feeling claustrophobic even when there was still a few feet of space between them. It was one thing to be intimidated and humiliated in front of people he barely worked with anymore, but his own daughter was clinging to his leg. Or... she _had_ been. When Leopold looked down to try to find her again, he saw her blonde hair a few steps _in front_ of him, and he tried to scramble forward to pull her back, only to freeze when he heard the words come out of her. 

“Are you Mr. Al? My mummy says Mr. Al is a _fuckhead.”_

The sound of papers hitting the carpeted floor was enough to tell him that every member of the small group in the office heard the insult. Leopold couldn’t move fast enough, quickly pulling his daughter into his arms and taking a step back, closer to the elevator. Distance might be their only savior, in that moment, and he wanted to gather as much of it as he could. 

In seconds, Ophelia had made her way across the room, grabbing him by the sleeve with the hand that wasn’t holding onto the unorganized papers she’d picked up. “Come on, we don’t want to be late for lunch. Bye, Alistair! Have a good afternoon! See you in the morning!”

When the doors of the elevator slid closed between them and the threat, he hugged Alya close to his chest, hiding a laugh in her curling hair. 

-

[ **you** added **OpheLIA** to **chaotic co-parenting** ]  
[ text | from: **space monkey** ] _Lia!_ _  
_[ text | from: **OpheLIA** ] _Willy!_  
[ text | to: **chaotic co-parenting** ] _this was a mistake_  
[ text | to: **chaotic co-parenting** ] _sorry, Jemma_  
[ text | from: **better half** ] _Leo, as happy as I am that you’ve found someone who makes you happy, I can’t stand for this much chaos in this group chat_  
[ text | from: **space monkey** ] _I just think it’s funny that Jem is the one who NAMED the group chat_  
[ text | from: **better half** ] _oh hush_ _  
_[ text | to: **chaotic co-parenting** ] _speaking of Jemma_  
[ text | to: **chaotic co-parenting** ] _[video attachment]_  
[ text | from: **OpheLIA** ] _you got the video back from Hunter!_ _  
_[ text | from: **better half** ] _I’m going to disapprove of the language but I won’t tell her she’s wrong_ _  
_[ text | from: **space monkey** ] _she called him that to his face?? oh my god_  
[ text | from: **space monkey** ] _how did you even get that footage?_  
[ text | from: **OpheLIA** ] _my office bff used to be married to the head of security_  
[ text | from: **OpheLIA** ] _I pulled some strings_  
[ text | to: **chaotic co-parenting** ] _scariest moment of my entire life_  
[ text | to: **chaotic co-parenting** ] _I genuinely thought we were going to die_ _  
_[ text | from: **space monkey** ] _glad you didn’t_  
[ text | from: **space monkey** ] _give the little monkey a high five for me_ _  
_[ text | from: **better half** ] _will do!_ _  
_[ text | from: **OpheLIA** ] _the title of the group chat is starting to make a lot of sense, now_


End file.
